Merry and Bright

Writers who captured Christmas, and the miracle of Hanukkah

Amy Makechnie

Dec 24, 2024

Ten share-worthy stories and quotes of the season:

The Miracle of the Oil. When I had small children, my mother-in-law brought over a menorah and told the story of Hanukkah. We were captivated by the story of the Maccabees (a Jewish priest named Mattathias and his five sons, including the famous Judah Maccabee, led a rebellion against the Seleucids to restore Jewish religious practices and reclaim the Temple, to purify it and rededicate it to God). Part of this process involved relighting the menorah, a candelabrum that was meant to burn continuously. However, they found only a small jar of consecrated oil—enough to burn for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, giving them enough time to prepare more oil. Thus, the miracle of Hanukkah. Christianity is directly tied to Jewish history, and I so wish I had kept that menorah…
“One can never have enough socks," said Dumbledore. "Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books.” ― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!” ― Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
"But it was not only that the spirit of the season had touched him; it was not only that he found himself in the most comfortable place in the world. It was that the house was a home." — Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows
“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.” — Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
“Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse…”― Clement Clarke Moore, The Night Before Christmas
“I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”
― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
"Christmas is a season of excess. Excess presents, excess eating, excess relatives. Not to mention the excess of murders." — Agatha Christie The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding (haha…this one makes me laugh!)
"Hey! Unto you a child is born!" — Barbara Robinson, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever a line delivered by Gladys Herdman, the youngest and feistiest of the Herdman siblings who played the Angel of the Lord in a small town’s Christmas pageant that was irreverently endearing. My favorite Christmas story growing up.
"And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I come with good tidings of great joy." -Luke 2:10, King James Bible